From Noble to Servant to Deghass
by Maleficent-darkgoodwitch2416
Summary: When Ella is banished, she ends up in Farsala at the end of the Hrum War, instead of Kadesh, and marries Fasal. She returns seven years later, only to find that Lady Tremaine is determined to erase her existence. Will Rella be strong enough to stop her former stepmother? Or will Lady Tremaine succeed in her efforts to permanently eliminate Rella?
1. Prologue

From Noble to Servant to Deghass

Rella stared at the rapidly receding Farsalan shore. She glanced up at the Farsala flag and then resumed studying the shore of her new home. She was going back to Nanthia. Seven years later, she thought ruefully.

Her husband, Fasal, walked over and asked, "Worried, my lioness?"

She nodded weakly. He kissed her and led her to their cabin. They had gotten married during her sixth year in Farsala after he had finished his time in the Hrum army, along with her older brother, Jiaan. Wrapping his arms around her, he began to sing in her ear, in his amazingly and surprisingly beautiful tenor voice. "Don't give up—it's just the weight of the world. When your heart's heavy, I...I will lift it for you. Don't give up because you want to be heard. If silence keeps you, I...I will break it for you. Everybody wants to be understood—well, I can hear you—everybody wants to be loved. Don't give up because you are loved. Don't give up—it's just the hurt that you hide. When you're lost inside, I...I will be there to find you. Don't give up because you want to burn bright. If darkness blinds you, I...I will shine to guide you. Everybody wants to be understood—well, I can hear you—everybody wants to be loved. Don't give up because you are loved. You are loved. Don't give up—it's just the weight of the world. Don't give up—everyone needs to be heard. You are loved."

As they kissed, the wails of their two-month-old daughter reminded Rella that it was time to feed and change little Allie as they called her. Her name was really Alexandrite, a rare gem only found in areas near their manor. Her hair was a curly jet black and her eyes were sky blue. After feeding and burping her daughter, Rella gently began singing to the infant. "Waking up in the light of a shining new day, giving thanks to the moon for guiding my way. There is no greater gift to the soul lie in each breath that my body can hold. So, great spirit hear my voice, today. Welcome magic. Welcome sweet sun ray. Love is no secret. Look all around you. Welcome to this day. Life is simple and clear when you make the right choices. It's true that you're here when you find your own voice. Oh, my brothers and sisters believe you are just what you are meant to be. Oh, great spirit hear my voice, today. Welcome magic. Welcome sweet sun ray. Love is no secret. Look all around you. Welcome to this day. Welcome to this day. Welcome magic. Welcome sweet sun ray. Love is no secret. Look all around you. Welcome magic. Welcome sweet sun ray—sweet sun ray. Love is no secret. Look all around you. Welcome to this day. Look all around you. Love is no secret. Look all around you. Welcome to this day."


	2. Rella's Backstory

_After the older woman helped Cinderella down the cliff, the dark-haired maiden held out her hand to the frightened Cinderella. She hesitantly took it. The two women led Cinderella across the desert until they reached an army camp. Cinderella's eyes widened, fearfully. She had heard horror stories of what happened to maidens who ended up in army camps in her childhood. Were these two women going to betray her, after saving her? The girl motioned for Cinderella to sit down and she did, reluctantly. The maiden disappeared and then returned with a tray of food and three men behind her. Motioning to each, including herself, she introduced them, but Cinderella shook her head and remained unresponsive. The curly-brown-haired boy ordered something that sounded like, "Fetch the prisoner!"—clearly he was the one in charge._

_A fourth man joined them and, in her language, said, "Food. Good to eat. Need to keep your strength up."_

_Her eyes widened and she cried out, "You speak Nanthian?!"_

_The new man nodded and once again introduced the people around her—this time in her language. "My name is Patrius and this is the Farsalan Army Camp. This is Kavi. The raven-haired maiden who brought you here is Lady Soraya of the House of the Leopard. Those two men are High Commander Jiaan and his second-in-command Fasal. Her female companion is Maok. Most—sorry, Kavi—of us around you are very honorable men and women and won't harm you, OK?"_

_Cinderella nodded and then asked, "How do you know my language?"_

"_I was born and raised in Nanthia, but chose to join the Hrum army," he explained._

_She nodded. Soraya quickly asked Patrius to find out why Cinderella had had nothing with her but the clothes on her back and what she was doing in the war-torn country anyway._

_Patrius asked, "Why are you here, with only the clothes on your back, especially during this war?"_

_Cinderella bit her lip—she had never been able to lie and unless that had miraculously changed on her way here, she'd have to tell the truth no matter how ridiculous it sounded. She bit her lower lip and nervously twirled her hair before she launched into her tale._

"_I was born in Nanthia nineteen years ago. My parents were the late Lord Edmund Tremaine and his late first wife, Lady Eleanor Tremaine. We were a happy family until Mother died when I was six. Father and I were devastated. When I was nine, he remarried so when I hit adolescence and that awkward phase, it would be less awkward for me. Stepmother had two daughters of her own, from her first marriage—Drizella, the older one, and Anastasia, the younger one. Once again—minus the typical sibling rivalry arguments—just so we're clear that was mainly Anastasia and Drizella—we were a happy family. But then Father died and Stepmother changed. She became cold and cruel and turned Anastasia and Drizella against me. I was only twelve when the nightmare began. I was slowly turned into a servant in my own home, forced to wear this raggedy old maid's outfit and sleep in the attic. I rarely ate enough and was ignored. The growing up talk?—I hid in Stepmother's closet and spied on my stepfamily as she talked to her daughters! I was lashed when Stepmother found me. She told me I didn't need to worry about she'd told the girls and I began spending as much time as I could in town, with Miss Jane. She explained what Stepmother had told the girls and if I needed a mother, I would sneak out to see her. This continued until the day of the ball. During this time, my only friends were the mice that'd sneak into the house, the bluebirds who built their nests outside my window, my dog, Bruno, and my horse, Major. After I'd given her the note, explaining to her about the ball, and asked if I could go to the ball, Stepmother told me—and I quote—'I don't see any reason you can't go, if you get all your chores done and find something suitable to wear.' I tried; I really did try to get ready. But when I did come downstairs in a suitable dress—it was a dress of my mother's my mice and bird friends had altered for me—my 'sisters' destroyed it as Stepmother merely looked on, smiling! They left and I fled into the garden and cried. My fairy godmother came and gave me everything I needed to go to the ball, telling me I had to leave before the clock struck midnight or else everything would return to the way it was before she cast her spell. I barely got out of the ball before everything vanished. I returned home and I married the prince. At our first anniversary, Stepmother somehow got her hands on Fairy godmother's wand and used it to turn back time. Then she magicked the slipped so it would fit Anastasia and charmed the Prince into forgetting who I am. I tried to steal it back to set things right, but then she caught me and I was banished. And that's how I ended up on that cliff where Soraya and Maok found me."_

_After she finished her sorrowful tale—before she began her story, Fasal had glared at the others, making it clear he would not tolerate any commentary on her life story, no matter what—he signed that he wanted to know her name. She looked up at him and answered, "I am Rella."_

_He smiled and with Patrius' help told her he would protect her and that she should stay with Soraya or Maok. Fasal turned to Jiaan and he nodded—then Fasal murmured something to Patrius. He nodded. "You may wander in the camp, but only when Fasal is with you—for your own protection," Patrius explained._

_Rella nodded and asked, "Patrius, can you teach me their language?"_

"_What about going back?" he asked, curiosity getting the better of him._

"_I can't go back—ever," Rella answered._

_Patrius nodded and began teaching her Faran that very night._


	3. The Beginning of a New Life Part 1

_After three weeks of her lessons with Patrius, Rella realized that she could finally speak to the others in the camp. Fasal always came to check on her and all she had been able to do was smile and nod up at him._

_Fasal came to visit—once again, but this time, things would be different—he was going to propose—finally—and she smiled up at him and said, "Fasal."_

_His eyes widened. "You speak Faran!" he cried, delighted, snatching her up and swinging her around. She giggled and Patrius—who had been suspicious of why Fasal was so protective of Rella—began to realize that Fasal was in love with the orphaned deghass. Of course, Patrius knew he had to stick around—so that way, the two behaved and so that Rella didn't end up feeling uncomfortable with her surroundings, because she didn't speak the language. Patrius left the two alone._

_Fasal always addressed Rella as "Lady Rella"—and treated her as he did Soraya—respectfully and honorably. In fact, he had yelled at some of the soldiers because they refused to treat her with the same respect that they treated Soraya with or call her "Lady Rella."_

_She smiled up at him and he asked, "How are you, Lady Rella?"_

"_I am fine, Lord Fasal. How is High Commander Jiaan?" she asked._

"_He's doing well, but very stressed—soon, this war will be over, Lady Rella," he answered._

_Rella nodded and Fasal asked, "May I sit with you, Lady Rella?"_

_She nodded and finally asked, "Please, Fasal, call me, Rella."_

_He nodded and replied, "As you wish, Miss Rella."_

_She sighed and he said, "I want you to be treated with the respect due your rank…"_

"_A servant gets no respect," she scoffed._

_He shook his head and said, "Lady Rella, I was referring to your true rank—as a deghass."_

"_A noblewoman?" she asked._

"_Isn't that what you're supposed to be?" he asked, smiling tenderly at her._

_She nodded and said, "I enjoy our conversations, Lord Fasal. When this war is over, do come and visit me."_

"_I don't know if that will be possible," he hedged._

"_What are you talking about?" she asked._

"_I know, Jiaan and Soraya have taken you in as a member of the House of the Leopard, but I wish for you to be a member of my family, to be my wife," he explained._

"_What are you saying, Fasal?" Rella asked._

"_Lady Rella, will you marry me?" Fasal proposed._

_Rella nodded and slowly answered, "Yes, Lord Fasal. I will marry you."_

_That night, the whole camp celebrated—Patrius was permitted to join in the celebration since he had helped to bring them together._


	4. Could She Be Sorahb Reborn?

_A few weeks later, Patrius escaped and Rella had begun training to join the army. She was a natural with every fighting style—archery, swordplay, and horseback riding—in fact, she was so good, some began questioning: Could she be Sorahb reborn? After all, the first Sorahb had been a foreigner—of sorts—Farsalan-born and was raised in Kadesh as the grandson of a servant of a Kadeshi warlord. And she had arrived—right when Farsala was at its greatest need, as foretold in the legend. Clearly, she had to be Sorahb. But how to prove that she was indeed Sorahb reborn?_

_She rolled her eyes and said, "Who knows which one of us is Sorahb—just because I'm good at archery, swordplay, horseback riding, and everyone seems to like me—doesn't mean I'm Sorahb reborn."_

_She had heard the story—the legend of Sorahb—soon after she and Fasal became engaged—he had told her that night after the party._

_Fasal immediately began telling her the story, "Many years ago, Rostam was the greatest warrior to have lived. Now, his gahn did not get along with his cousin. In an effort to make peace, the gahn sent Rostam on a peacemaking mission. Rostam was the gahn's most trusted soldier. Riding his trusted steed, Rakesh, Rostam reached the gahn's cousin's house under the banner of truce. He was welcomed and met the cousin's daughter, Tahmina and fell in love with her. They made love and she ended up pregnant. During a boar hunt, Rostam, infuriated by the insults to the gahn, left, unaware of his beloved's pregnancy. To assure her of his love, Rostam gave Tahmina his amulet. When her father learned of the baby's father, he was mad, but Tahmina interfered and named the child Sorahb. The family was forced to flee to Kadesh and Tahmina's father offered his services to a Kadeshi warlord. The years passed and Sorahb grew into a likeable, well-mannered young man. When his grandfather's Kadeshi warlord declared war on Farsala, Sorahb joined the troops who would attack Farsala. His mother—forced to lie by her father—had always told him that his father had been killed by a Farsalan warrior while they were fleeing Farsala years earlier. Now, Sorahb thought that if he could kill a Farsalan, he could avenge his father's death. Before the troops were to leave, Tahmina called Sorahb into her room. She handed him the amulet and told him to wear it—to remember her. He had never seen her take it off before that moment. She knew the amulet should be enough to protect her son. Rostam would see it and know Sorahb for who he truly was—his son. Now, like all teens, Sorahb did not want to be reminded constantly of his mother, so he dropped the amulet behind his shirt, where none but he would know about it. He was skilled and on the second day of the battle, forced the gahn to retreat. This infuriated Rostam and he vowed to fight this warrior. He challenged Sorahb with the traditional circle of challenge battle to the death—and Sorahb was ecstatic—he felt that by killing Rostam, he would avenge his father's death. For three days, the two fought. They were evenly matched in skill and ability. Rostam had been a warrior longer but he was getting old. Sorahb had not been a warrior for long, but he was younger. On the third day, Sorahb dismounted Rostam. He moved to kill the older man, but Rostam kicked dust into Sorahb's eyes and ran his sword through him. As a sign of respect, in an effort to stop the bleeding, Rostam removed the teen's shirt. When Rostam went to replace the shirt, he saw the amulet and wept. 'What djinn's trickery is this? That I should kill my own son without knowing it?' The Kadeshi warriors and the Farsalan army joined the grief-stricken father in mourning his son's death. Rostam's grief was so powerful, it reached the ears of the god, Azure. He took the dead boy's body into his arms and promised that Sorahb would one day when Farsala was at its time of greatest need."_

_Rella nodded—despite the jokes she made about the idea and how many times she rolled her eyes, she agreed with everyone else—she had the greatest probability of being Sorahb._


	5. She's Sorahb Reborn Alright

_The weeks passed and the governor of Mazad's treason was found out, confirmed, and reported to the Mazad Guard Commander Siddas. Unfortunately, there were still the siege towers to worry about. So the Farsalan army, some of the Suud, and Kavi ambushed the towers on the way to Mazad and destroyed them._

_As they fled, they paused in a small clearing. "This is it," Rella murmured off-handedly. "This is where Sorahb was killed by Rostam."_

_Everyone stared at her and she froze and thought over what she had said. "There's only one way I could know that…" she began._

_Everyone nodded and she continued, "And that's if I was Sorahb reborn."_

_Everyone grinned and Kavi murmured, "No one would suspect you as Sorahb—as long as you don't let any information—like where you were killed by your father…"_

"_Don't remind me!" Rella grimaced._

"_Is—out," Jiaan finished._

_Rella nodded, agreeing to the Farsalan Army's terms to keep her safe—as a secret weapon that could help give the Hrum the ultimate boot out of Farsala and ensure Farsalan freedom and confirm Farsala as being an allied state of the Hrum empire._


	6. Time to Finish the War!

_Later, the army learned of a diplomatic party coming from the Hrum kingdom to see what was going on with Garren because he was supposedly paying to have Kadeshi soldiers come in and supplement the Hrum army. The Farsalans learned that some of the Kadeshi troops that were coming were planning to turn on the Hrum and cripple the Hrum army on both sides. Jiaan did not want that to happen and so he sent Kavi to find the gold so it could be destroyed after they failed to catch it in the swamp._

_Unfortunately, Kavi was captured, but Duckie—Kavi's mule who thought it was a duck—for reasons unknown—for most—except for Rella—Duckie had been raised by ducks—not a horse or donkey—returned with the passwords burned into the saddle._

_Soraya and Jiaan found and sent the gold down the river._

_Then Garren called, "Unless your precious hero—Sorahb—comes, Kavi shall die!"_

_Rella froze and drew her sword. "Rella, don't," Fasal begged her._

"_I won't let Kavi die," she answered, stepping forward._

_She glared at Garren and declared, "I am Sorahb!"_

"_You're a girl!" Garren yelled. "You can't be Sorahb!"_

"_Nowhere in the legend does it say that Azure said that Sorahb could come as a boy again," she countered, growling._

"_Now be a man and fight me," she snarled._

_Garren nodded and the battle began._


	7. Facing Garren

_Garren and Rella circled each other, searching for an opening in their opponent's stances. They feinted and moved around each other. Rella took advantage of her smaller size and younger age, to move faster than Garren and be more flexible, avoiding multiple possible injuries, while managing to injure Garren. Her sword was made of Farsalan-made watersteel, which included Metal-Speaking in the forging process, while Garren's sword was made of Hrum watersteel._

_She broke Garren's sword and smirked, but he kicked dust into her eyes. Remembering the lessons from her father, she dodged several arrows, with only one wounding her in her upper left arm—she would carry the scar for the rest of her life._

_After Rella finally managed to get the dust out of her eyes, she saw Garren had more or less been blasted to bits._

"_What happened?" she demanded._

_One of the Hrum ambassadors asked, "Is she Sorahb?"_

_The Farsalan army all nodded in agreement and Rella murmured, "I can show you the spot where I was killed by Rostam. Now will someone tell me how Garren died because I sure didn't stab him unless he somehow impaled himself on my sword which he sure didn't!"_

_Soraya stepped forward and said, "I used my Speaking to create a lightning bolt to kill him—to avenge my—our—father—High Commander Merahb."_

_Rella nodded and glared at the now dead Garren._

_Patrius turned to the Hrum ambassadors and said, "The year is almost up. Governor Garren has ruled so wrongly that most of the land seethes with rebellion. It would take years to completely subdue Farsala. By the time we subdued Farsala, it would be worthless to the empire. So, let's call it quits now and make Farsala an allied state."_

_The ambassadors agreed and helped Kavi set up the new government, which would be headed by a council made up of peasants and deghans alike. Kavi was elected as head of the council. He said that it was dealing with a herd of goats and so the head position was referred to as "Council goatherd" or "Councilherd."_


	8. The Return of the House of the Leopard

_Before Sudaba, Pavi, and Merdas came home, Rella smiled at Jiaan and said, "I can handle teaching Mother, Sister, and Cousin how to cook and clean and all that household stuff. You work with Merdas on handling taxes and fighting, OK, Jiaan?"_

_Jiaan nodded in agreement to Rella's plan._

_Rella, Soraya, and Jiaan also had the fountain in the garden—which was the heart and soul of the Leopard household—restarted. Soraya was overjoyed the first it ran after Farsala won the war and Rella realized how much the household had depended on that fountain to show the household was indeed alive._

_Sudaba, Pavi, and Merdas eventually returned to Farsala and Rella helped teach her new cousin—Pavi—her sister—Soraya—and her mother—Sudaba learn how to cook and clean and keep the house running smoothly—when it was only one person doing all the chores._

_One day, after her return to Farsala, determined to find out how Rella knew how to cook and clean and keep a house running smoothly without servants' help, Sudaba called, "Rella, my child, my daughter, come here."_

"_You called, Madam my Mother?" Rella asked._

_Then Sudaba asked, "Rella, my child, my daughter, how do you know all of this?"_

_Rella bit her lip and slowly answered, "Well, Mama, it was my Stepmother—Lady Elinor Tremaine. When Father—Lord Edmund Tremaine—died, she dismissed all of the servants. Then she made me give all of my nice things—my dresses, my dolls, my other toys—to her daughters—Anastasia and Drizella—of course, I was smaller than both, so usually my old dresses didn't fit either of them. Then she forced me to move into the attic and dress and work as a servant. She would abuse me and sometimes they—Stepmother and my stepsisters—would force me to sleep in front of the fireplace, which wasn't too clean and I would end up covered in cinders—hence their nickname for me—Cinderella."_

_Sudaba did not approve of Lady Tremaine's cruelty to Lady Rella. "What?!" Sudaba raged, wrapping her arms firmly around her elder daughter—she had approved of the engagement to Fasal but the wedding was on hold until Rella was sure that Soraya, Pavi, and Sudaba could cook and clean well enough for her to leave and run Fasal's household._

_Rella murmured, "It's all over, Mama. I'm not sleeping in cinders anymore or being forced to work because I have to—I'm teaching you what I know so you can be independent."_

_However, sometimes, the peasantry would call Rella, Sorahb. Rella was eventually given Rostam's amulet and kept it as a family heirloom that would be passed down in Fasal's household._


	9. The Beginning of a New Life Part 2

_Five years after Sudaba's return, Rella and Fasal were married. They had a lengthy courtship because most of their early relationship was based on letters exchanged while Fasal was away fighting in the Hrum army. Rella knew she had to stay behind in Farsala to keep the peace and uphold the law of the land._

_She glanced nervously at her older brother, Jiaan. She was dressed in a gown that was in the traditional colors of the House of the Leopard—black and gold._

_Fasal would kiss her twice. After the first kiss, she would be taken into a back room and changed into a dress that was in the traditional colors of the House of the Lion—burnt orange and gold. Fasal would then kiss her again._

_The changing from the black and gold gown into the burnt orange and gold gown was symbolic of her moving from the House of the Leopard to the House of the Lion._

_Nine months after they were married, Rella and Fasal had a daughter named Alexandrite. Two months later, the two were selected to go to Nanthia to work out a trade agreement._


	10. Arrival in Nanthia

Rella smiled at her sleeping daughter, and Fasal soon joined them. The thing was—Rella wanted to keep her alter ego as Sorahb reborn a secret as long as possible, especially since she didn't want to have to fight a parental figure again—she was worried about that with Lady Tremaine.

Fasal kissed his wife's cheek and Allie awoke, beginning to cry.

Picking up the crying baby, Rella gently began rocking Allie and singing an old Farsalan lullaby that Sudaba had sung her to sleep with—when she had been scared that Sudaba wouldn't want her anymore after learning she was a servant to a "deghass" in her rightful house. _"A naoidhean bhig, cluinn mo ghuth. Mise ri d' thaobh, o mhaighdean bhan. Ar righinn oig, fas as faic. Do thir dileas fhein. A ghrian a's a ghealaich, stuir sinn. Gu uair ar cliu's ar glorie. Naoidhean bhig, ar righinn og. Mhaighdean uashaill bhan."_

Allie resumed sleeping and the family left the boat and headed to the newly constructed Farsalan embassy. Tomorrow morning, they'd tour town—Ella would show her husband all her favorite places as a child.


	11. Tours & Memories

The next morning, the family toured the marketplace. Rella introduced her husband and daughter to the various merchants.

Fasal asked, "Where's all the nobility?"

"The marketplace is not a fit place for nobles," Rella responded, remembering the answer her Stepmother had given her when she has asked—actually, she had really begged and pleaded—her Stepmother to accompany her to market when she was nine—there had been multiple kidnappings of young girls who were later sold into slavery—the most popular group were orphaned girls from age eight to age thirteen—and Lady Tremaine had ignored her stepdaughter's fears and pleas. Thankfully, she had avoided danger—with help from the baker and his family—the kidnappers were caught and the girls brought home, but they were all very subdued—for months after returning home. "Nobles usually send their servants to do the shopping."

Fasal asked, "But if you can't see it, how do you know what you want is there?"

Rella shrugged—she had wondered that too, but somehow she had always managed to come home with everything her Stepmother would ask her to get.

The family arrived at the bakery and Fasal looked at a set of cupcakes and asked, "What are those?"

"Cupcakes," Rella giggled. "I used to get them all the time as a special treat—don't tell Lady Tremaine."

Little Allie and Fasal grinned at Rella and he commented, "You were quite the troublemaker as a child."

Rella shrugged and said, "You gotta do what you gotta do to get your parents' attention."

Fasal sighed and Rella added, "But thankfully, Allie or any of our future children, won't have to worry about not having our attention."

Mrs. James came out and asked, "May I help you?"

Rella grinned and said, "Hello, Mrs. James."

The older woman frowned and asked, "How do you…"

"It's me. I used to come in here every time I went to market. It's been seven years since Lady Tremaine banished me," Rella continued.

"Cinderella?" Mrs. James gasped in shock.

"Although I changed the name to Rella," she continued explaining.

"Where did you go?" Mrs. James asked.

"I got off in Farsala and snuck into the Suud desert where I met my families—both the House of the Leopard, into which I was adopted and the House of the Lion, which I married into," Rella answered

Then she noticed Fasal, holding Allie. "Who are that handsome young man and the child?"

"My husband, Lord Fasal of the House of the Lion and our daughter, Alexandrite of the House of the Lion," Rella admitted.

Mrs. James herded the small family into the back room and they talked for several minutes. Then they left and headed to Tremaine Manor.

They arrived and Rella stared up, as memories of her final encounter with Lady Tremaine flooded her mind.

_Ella ran down the stairs. "No. It can't be," she protested._

_Stepmother turned and looked at her. "Would Your Grace excuse me? I must have a word with my…maid." Stepmother said, calmly._

_Ella blocked the pain as she realized that Stepmother didn't even to refer to Cinderella as what she really was—her stepdaughter._

_She gasped as Stepmother stopped her from continuing down the stairs. She looked tenderly at her and comfortingly said, "You look confused, dear."_

_She immediately asked, "How could the slipper have fit Anastasia? I danced with the Prince. That was my slipper." she continued to protest._

_Ella reached into her pocket and pulled out the other slipper. "Here, I have the other slipper. I'm the one he's looking for." Ella held out the slipper._

_Stepmother glared at Ella. "You may have danced with him. You may even have thought it was love. But the slipper fits Anastasia and that's who he's marrying."_

_She took the slipper on the end of her walking stick and dangled it over the banister. "Whatever you think happened last night was a dream."_

_Ella reached for the shoe and, gasping, watched, horrified, as it fell shattering instantly._

_She used her staff to force Ella to look at her, as she said, "I don't care where you go or what you do, but you stay away from the palace. Stay away from the Prince."_

_As she walked away, she added, "Oh and…clean up that broken glass."_

Fasal asked, "She called you Cinderella. Doesn't the word cinders mean something in this language?"

"Ashes," Rella admitted.

"Why?" he asked.

"When I was younger, they would force me to sleep in front of the fireplace, which wasn't too clean and I would end up covered in cinders."

"You slept where?!" Fasal roared.

Rella murmured, "Hey, it's OK, Fasal, it's OK. It's in the past. It's over now. I'm not sleeping in cinders anymore."

Fasal nodded, but he still hated how Lady Tremaine had treated her stepdaughter.


	12. Author's Note

**_A/N. Hey guys, thanks for all the votes so far. We're halfway done. Just 50 more votes and you'll learn who gets sacrificed to Max's wrath. So be sure to vote.  
_**


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